qrieser



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N0. 529,726. Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

o w w wi (no-Model. v 2 sheets-sheet 2.

STREET GAR FENDER.

Patented Nov. 27', 1894.

UNITED STATES-Q a=- HENRYcR'IEsEa, or sr. Louis, MISSOURI, AssienoR OF.'rnj o-rnIRDs To CHARLES L. HOOD AND cHARtEs B. TOMLINSON, OF SAMEPLACE.

STREET-CAR- FENDER.

SPECIFICATION; forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,726, datedNovember 27,1894.

Application filed April 4,1894. Serial No. 506,239. (No model.

T aZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HENRY GRIEsER, of th city of St. Louis and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Car Fenders, of'which the'following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for preventinga person, or living object, from being caught beneath a moving car.

This invention consists in the combination of a plurality of angle-armsfulcrumed to the car, and an apron hinged to said angle-arms, andsupplementally'connected to the car, to gether with yielding pressuredevices interposed between the apron and its support, whereby said apronmay normally be held in a given position, subject to a depression uponthe application thereto of a'sufficien't weight.

My invention consists further in the arrangement, combination andconstruction of parts hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims,and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation, showing my device applied to a car in position forpractical use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 detached from a car. Fig.3 is a side elevation, showing my device attached to a car, as requiredfor practical use, the dotted lines indicating two additional positionsof the device. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one portion of abuffer-plate. Fig. 5 represents perspective views of the supportingplates. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating themanner of supplementally attaching the apron to the car. Fig. 7 is aperspective View of a ratchet-bar.

In the construction of the device as shown, the numeral 10 designates acar platform, to which is attached, and from which depend,twoangle-plates 11, 12 (Fig. 5), identically formed angle-plates beingprovided at opposite sides of the platform. Located between theangle-plates 11, 12, and pivoted' thereto, and extending forwardlytherefrom, are angle-arms 13. The angle-arms 13 also extend rearwardlyfrom the point of fulcruming thereof, and the rear end portions thereofare tact with the car platform. An apron is hinged to the forward endportions of the angle-arms 13, which said apron com prises verbentupwardly,and extended to a plane ofcontically curved side-bars 14,15connected at their forward ends by a buffer-plate 16, and

at their rear and upper ends by a tie-rod 17, the side-bars 14, beingattached to the hinges 18, which form the connection with the angle-arms13.

Fixed to the lower face of, and extending forwardly from, thebuffer-plate 16, is a plate 19, made of rubber, or other yielding,compressible,-elastic material, adapted to be carried in the' plane ofthrust of the car, and re- .ceive the impact of the resisting body.

Fixed to the anglearms 13, 13, and interposed between said angle-arms,and the sidebars 14, 15 of the apron, areleaf-springs 20, 20, which saidleafsprings compose yielding pressure'devices adapted to retain theapron in a normal inclined plane, preparatory to the application theretoof a moving force. 7

Fixed to the rear edge of the bnEer-plate 16, and to eyes located in theforward end portions of the side-bars 14, 15, is one side of a meshednet 21, the opposite side of said not being secured to the tie-rod 17,the mid-portions of said not being stayed to the side-bars 14,15 by guyropes, or stay cords 22, 23. Fulcrumed upon the outer surface of thesidebar 15, of the apron, is a ratchet-bar 24, the free end portion ofwhich ratchet-bar extends through a slot 25 in the forward portion ofthe angle-plate 11.

That portion of the angle-plate 11, forming the lower side of the slot25, is bent inwardly and attenuated at its extreme edge, the attenuatededge thereof being adapted for engagement with the ratchet teeth on thebar 24.

Fixed to the side-bar 14, at a point approximately horizontally oppositeto the point of attachment of the ratchet-bar 24, is a chain 26, theopposite end of which chain is attached to a screw-eye, or staplelocated in the forward portion of the angle-plate 12 on the side of thecar immediately in the rear of the I L44. to.

slot in the angle-plate 11, and the entire device elevated, as shown bydotted lines 27 in Fig. 3; but when it is desired to employ the fender,it normally remains in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, occupying aninclined plane, the buffer-plate being in a plane below the angle-arms13.

If, during the advance of a car, the rubberplate 19, carried upon thebuffer-plate 16, contacts with a resisting body, such as a person, saidrubber plate will yield and cushion the .force of the impact with saidbody. By reason of the force of the impact, the aforesaid body will beprecipitated upon the meshed net 21 at a point in the rear of the hinges18, and, by reason of its weight, will depress the said net, and theside-bars carrying the same, thus compressing the yielding devicesinterposed between the apron and its support, and longitudinally movingthe ratchet-bar 24 within the slot 25, such movement being determinedand limited by the relative resistance of the yielding pressure devicesto the weight applied upon the apron, thus cushioning the fall of thebody upon the apron, and minimizing the possibility of injury thereto.

Reaction of the apron, through the resilience of the yielding pressuredevices, is obviated and prevented by the engagement of the teeth on theratchet-bar 24 with the lip formed on one side of the slot 25, thusproviding for the retention of a moving body upon the apron, until suchtime as the car, on which the apron is carried, may be stopped.

It is obvious that upon the removal of a person, or object, alightingupon the apron, said apron may be repositioned through the ment with oneof said angle-plates, and a chain fixed to said apron and adapted forattachment to one of the remaining said angleplates.

2. In a device of the class described, a pinrality of angle-platesarranged in pairs and fixed to, and depending from, a car platform,angle-arms fulcrumed within the respective pairs of angle-plates, anapron hinged upon the forward end portions of the angle-arms, leafsprings interposed between the anglearms and the apron, a ratchet-barfulerumed on the apron and extended through a-slot in one of saidangle-plates and adapted for engagement with said angle-plate, and achain fixed to one of the remaining angle-plates and adapted fordetachable connection with the said apron.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY GRIESER.

Witnesses:

M. G. IRION, bro. 0. HIGDON.

